By: Krause H.B. No. 1525
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to prohibiting the board of trustees of an independent
  school district from exercising disparate treatment in allowing
  access to school campuses during non-instructional time based on
  the religious nature of an organization.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that a school district
  that denies an organization access to its limited public forum on
  the grounds that the organization is religious in nature, or that
  the viewpoints expressed by the organization are religious in
  nature, is violating the organization's free speech rights.  To
  protect those rights, this Act intends to codify the supporting
  language of the United States Supreme Court in Good News Club v.
  Milford Central School, 533 U.S. 98 (2001), and Lamb's Chapel v.
  Center Moriches Union Free School District, 508 U.S. 384 (1993).
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 11.1651 to read as follows:
         Sec. 11.1651.  PROHIBITION OF DISPARATE TREATMENT IN
  ALLOWING ACCESS TO SCHOOL CAMPUSES DURING NON-INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
  BASED ON RELIGIOUS NATURE OF ORGANIZATION.  If the board of trustees
  of an independent school district allows noncurricular community
  organizations not organized or operated primarily by students
  access to district school campuses during non-instructional time,
  the district must provide religious organizations the same access
  to school campuses during non-instructional time as is given to
  other noncurricular organizations without discrimination based on
  any religious nature of an organization or on an organization's
  activities on campus, including expression of religious
  viewpoints.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2013.